Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to Romans 15
Close HCSB

Romans 15
Holman Christian Standard Bible

Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves

15 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,(A) and not to please ourselves. 2 Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.(B) 3 For even the Messiah did not please Himself.(C) On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.(D)[a] 4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction,(E) so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. 5 Now may the God who gives[b] endurance and encouragement(F) allow you to live in harmony with one another,(G) according to the command of Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ(H) with a united mind and voice.

Glorifying God Together

7 Therefore accept one another,(I) just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. 8 For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised[c] on behalf of God’s truth,(J) to confirm the promises to the fathers,(K) 9 and so that Gentiles(L) may glorify God for His mercy.(M) As it is written:

Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles,
and I will sing psalms to Your name.(N)[d]

10 Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people!(O)[e] 11 And again:

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
all the peoples should praise Him!(P)[f]

12 And again, Isaiah says:

The root of Jesse(Q) will appear,
the One who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in Him.(R)[g]

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him(S) so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.(T)

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

14 My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness,(U) filled with all knowledge,(V) and able to instruct one another. 15 Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points[h] because of the grace given me by God(W) 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,(X) serving as a priest of God’s good news.(Y) My purpose is that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable,(Z) sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus(AA) regarding what pertains to God.(AB) 18 For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me(AC) to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, 19 by the power of miraculous signs and wonders,(AD) and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem(AE) all the way around to Illyricum.[i](AF) 20 My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named,(AG) so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,(AH) 21 but, as it is written:

Those who were not told about Him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.(AI)[j]

Paul’s Travel Plans

22 That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.(AJ) 23 But now I no longer have any work to do in these provinces,[k] and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you(AK) 24 whenever I travel to Spain.[l] For I hope to see you when I pass through, and to be assisted by you for my journey there,(AL) once I have first enjoyed your company(AM) for a while. 25 Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem(AN) to serve the saints,(AO) 26 for Macedonia(AP) and Achaia[m](AQ) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits,(AR) then they are obligated to minister to Jews in material needs. 28 So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds[n] to them,(AS) I will visit you on the way to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing[o] of Christ.

30 Now I appeal to you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit,(AT) to join with me in fervent prayers to God on my behalf.(AU) 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea,(AV) that the gift I am bringing to[p] Jerusalem(AW) may be acceptable to the saints,(AX) 32 and that, by God’s will,(AY) I may come to you with joy(AZ) and be refreshed together with you.

33 The God of peace be with all of you.(BA) Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 15:3 Ps 69:9
  2. Romans 15:5 Lit God of
  3. Romans 15:8 The Jews
  4. Romans 15:9 2Sm 22:50; Ps 18:49
  5. Romans 15:10 Dt 32:43
  6. Romans 15:11 Ps 117:1
  7. Romans 15:12 Is 11:10
  8. Romans 15:15 Other mss add brothers
  9. Romans 15:19 A Roman province northwest of Greece on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea
  10. Romans 15:21 Is 52:15
  11. Romans 15:23 Lit now, having no longer a place in these parts
  12. Romans 15:24 Other mss add I will come to you.
  13. Romans 15:26 The churches of these provinces
  14. Romans 15:28 Lit delivered this fruit
  15. Romans 15:29 Other mss add of the gospel
  16. Romans 15:31 Lit that my service for
Close NLT

Romans 15
New Living Translation

Living to Please Others

15 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”[a] 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews[b] to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:

“For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing praises to your name.”[c]

10 And in another place it is written,

“Rejoice with his people,
    you Gentiles.”[d]

11 And yet again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles.
    Praise him, all you people of the earth.”[e]

12 And in another place Isaiah said,

“The heir to David’s throne[f] will come,
    and he will rule over the Gentiles.
They will place their hope on him.”[g]

13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Reason for Writing

14 I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters,[h] that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. 15 Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 17 So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. 18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit.[i] In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.[j]

20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,

“Those who have never been told about him will see,
    and those who have never heard of him will understand.”[k]

22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.

Paul’s Travel Plans

23 But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. 24 I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.

25 But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers[l] there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia[m] have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. 28 As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. 29 And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.

30 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. 31 Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation[n] I am taking to Jerusalem. 32 Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.

33 And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.[o]

Footnotes

  1. 15:3 Greek who insult you have fallen on me. Ps 69:9.
  2. 15:8 Greek servant of circumcision.
  3. 15:9 Ps 18:49.
  4. 15:10 Deut 32:43.
  5. 15:11 Ps 117:1.
  6. 15:12a Greek The root of Jesse. David was the son of Jesse.
  7. 15:12b Isa 11:10 (Greek version).
  8. 15:14 Greek brothers; also in 15:30.
  9. 15:19a Other manuscripts read the Spirit; still others read the Holy Spirit.
  10. 15:19b Illyricum was a region northeast of Italy.
  11. 15:21 Isa 52:15 (Greek version).
  12. 15:25 Greek God’s holy people; also in 15:26, 31.
  13. 15:26 Macedonia and Achaia were the northern and southern regions of Greece.
  14. 15:31 Greek the ministry; other manuscripts read the gift.
  15. 15:33 Some manuscripts do not include Amen. One very early manuscript places 16:25-27 here.
Next
Romans 14
Romans 16
Next
dropdown
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.